Bringing Theology to Life
By Matthew Ristuccia, Westerly Road Church Princeton, New Jersey
January 1, 1994
THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD.
That's all I read on the blackboard as I strolled into the seminar hall a few minutes late. But there was plenty to read on the speakers' faces. "This debate is one of a kind," their expressions exclaimed. "We're arguing the Bible at Princeton."
We were a two-minute walk from the rooms where Warfield, Machen, and Hodge lectured and wrote about the Bible and revelation. From an open window, you could see the brick and white-trimmed Center for Theological Inquiry, a brainbank for the sorts of issues being debated this night
But judging by the expressions on the faces of the audience, most weren't impressed. Many were young--university and seminary students. While a few appeared as eager as the speakers, most (probably required to attend) looked bored and distracted, preoccupied with more important concerns. Revelation and the Bible? To them, hardly life-changing issues, even at Princeton. As one student commented after the debate, "Why can't we just get on with life?"
ORIGINAL SIN: ISN'T THAT CREATIVE MISCHIEF?
Recently in a conversation, I was making what I thought was a rather obvious point about "original sin." As I pursued my logic, I realized one of my two listeners was not connecting with the term. As far as he was concerned, original sin meant "ten new ways to covet."
How hard theology has fallen! Once considered the queen of sciences, today it is not even in the royal court. The social event of turn-of-the-century Berlin was Adolf Harnack's lectures on the fatherhood of God. The classroom was standing room only, overflowing with students, intelligentsia, plain people, and pastors. In our day, announce a lecture on the fatherhood of God, and you'll do well to muster the faithful (unless you link ...
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